For decades both Seventh-day Adventists and Davidian Seventh-day Adventists have wrestled over the proper application of the special resurrection found in Daniel 12:2. For example, more recently in early 2012 a certain Sister Cheche Cortal asked the following probing question on a Facebook discussion group that was never brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
Brothers in Christ, how can we harmonize the writing of the Rod with the passage on GC 637 about the special resurrection of Dan 12:2? When in GC 637 the faithful of the 3rd angels message will be resurrected at the time of the 7th plague. How can we harmonize this also with Testimonies vol.7 p.17 that we shall take up our work once more in the kingdom. How can we take up our work once more if the faithful of the 3rd angels message will be resurrected at the time of the 7th plague? Also in 1 SR 23 if we read there the faithful of the 3rd angels message will be resurrected in the time of the 7th plague. Now where can we apply 7T 17?
This is an excellent question that has not been adequately answered for decades since most Davidians argue that the special resurrection will take place before probation closes which conflicts with the typical Adventist understanding based on a passage from Great Controversy, p. 637 which places this event during the seventh (7th) last plague. In fact, the failure to resolve this issue has created a stumbling block in which many Seventh-day Adventists have rejected the Rod message because it appears to directly contradict the Spirit of Prophecy. The ensuing discussion on this post became rather lively and was never resolved since it was cut off prematurely. However, an agreement was made to continue the discussion on this website. Thus the following video presentation has been developed to address this hotly debated and much confused subject and offer a simple way to harmonize all that the SOP and the Rod have to say without side-stepping or taking statements out of the proper context of the author’s original intent. The transcript of the all of the posts made on the discussion thread that was started on the Truth Tellers group has been preserved and is available for download by clicking the following link: Special-resurrection-discussion. Also a printed transcript of this video presentation is available as a PDF download by clicking here: Special Resurrection. By way of note, this subject has been discussed by others in times past, for example, the author of this presentation discussed it with Brother Trent from Canada in the spring of 2010. A study that sought to harmonize our two views at the time (one before probation closes, the other after) was submitted by this brother but never read nor consulted until after the presentation above was posted. A copy of this unpublished study is included for comparison’s sake. To our knowledge there are no other published studies or presentations on this topic.
Very interesting brother. I know this is quite a study and we must dig deep in the mine shaft of truth. Thanks for the view points on this topic.
My Beloved Brother,
Greetings in the name of the Lord!
We praise His name for allowing us to have a brother of your caliber among the Present Truth Believers. And, we are very grateful that He has used you as an instrument in His hands to help bring some sort of additional light for the understanding of the subject of the Special Resurrection of Daniel 12: 2. Brilliant approach is the least we can say about the presentation, especially for the “two applications” concept that really opened up a whole new window of understanding and prove at the same time that the word of God is the only truth that ever exists. This is very impressive to me, for I never even think about considering it this way.
That being said, however, in order for me to accept the approach fully, I would need some additional clarification, as far as the second application beneficiaries being those that the Lord will put to sleep during the Loud Cry of the Third Angel Message. Will they be those with the Great Multitude? If yes, to do what? Because, at the time of the seven plagues, the “It is done” has already been pronounced and Amos 8: 11 is in application. Besides, the Lord will not need to put anyone to sleep, because the Kingdom is already established. He will send them straight to the Kingdom; this is the reason why He is asking them to come out of Babylon. For the Kingdom will be the “Goshen” of the latter-day people of God: a place where they will be protected from the seven last plagues; those who are part of the living saints forming the Great Multitude will go straight there so the stone of Daniel 2 can grow to a great mountain and by the same talking, intensify the Loud Cry. And, since no one will be put to sleep under the Loud Cry Message, for they will be no need for that, therefore in my humble opinion, the second application is wide open to be filled, because it is vital to support the “two applications” concept.
Now, without searching it yet, but willing to adopt the two applications concept, mainly to fill the second application, two things automatically come to mind: 1- The church history is divided in three periods – First, symbolized by Eve, the Patriarchal era; Second, symbolized by Hagar, the Jewish era, Third, symbolized by Sarah, the Christian era. (12SC5: 6.) We will have a Special Resurrection for the Christian era (Daniel 12: 2,) one for the Jewish era (Ezekiel 37,) why not finally one for the Patriarchal era, they will better fit for being leaders, servants of the Lord on their own merit for their time, a special privilege, so they do not have to wait for the General Resurrection, for they can go straight to the Kingdom. And, if done in this sequence: 2- “…First shall be last and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19: 30,) as far as Special Resurrection concerned. Laughable, right! Even hilarious, right! You cannot say, I did not make you laugh for a moment!
Thank you for this magisterial presentation, my Beloved Brother in Christ!
Looking forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience!
May the Lord continue to richly bless you, your entire family as well as your ministry of His most precious blessings!
Stay connected to Him 24/7!
Your humble servant in the Lord,
Brother Jean-Jacques Gustave Sr.
Present Truth Believer
Dear Brother Jean-Jacques:
Thank you for your kind remarks and interesting suggestions regarding the second application of the special resurrection. We will prayerfully search this out and, God willing reply in due season. In the meanwhile, may God richly bless your continued search for Truth as for hidden treasure.
In that blessed hope,
The Publishers
To God be the glory for using Brother Eric Edstrom of upa7.org who relentlessly digs to sink the shaft into the mine of Truth and toiled upward in the night to unearth this most precious gem buried deep down into the treasure coffers of the Shepherd’s Rod message divinely enshrouded from the heavenly throne to post this unprecedented above study about the Dual Application of the Special Resurrection of Daniel 12:2. God is in no doubt impressed with this study as no one before this time had put them together in a though, brief, and concise, yet simple and very clear to understand manner, even for a simple mind like mine. Once again, I would like to thank God for Brother Edstrom to put this well organized study on the above video, and in writing on attached PDF this excellent study regarding the Dual application of Special Resurrection. In addition, it is such a marvel to know that in spite of Davidia’s uncaring behavior towards those who work so hard to put together such intellectual study and use it as their own, yet He still show how much He loves us to send somebody to do such work as above. I pray and hope that everybody else will give credit to whom credit is due as God mandated us do (Prov. 3:27).
May peace, love, and harmony be with us all both now and always,
Zechariah Daniel